by Jan Masters
When my English Shepherd, Dakota, was 8 weeks old, she began flipping in the air to catch the weeds I was tossing out of my flowerbed. At that moment, I thought, “I’ve got myself a Frisbee dog!” And I definitely have a Frisbee dog.
Frisbee is a great way to bond with your dog. If a dog fetches a ball, it will catch a Frisbee. It is all prey to the dog. Frisbee is not breed specific. All breeds of dogs regularly compete. Even if you never compete in Frisbee, it is a great way to exercise your dog. If I throw a disc 30 to 40 yards – 10 times, that is the distance that results in the dog running the length of two football fields – 30 yards to go catch and then 30 yards to bring it back. This is great exercise for your dog and believe me, your dog’s tongue will be hanging down to its knees with this kind of running!
People often say that they can’t play disc with their dog because they can’t throw a Frisbee. In reality, it does not make any difference how good of a thrower you are, the dog can catch the disc. When I first started learning how to play, I was taught to find a target in the distance. Use a tree, a fence post, a building, or something in the distance. Figure out what would be its belly-button and aim for that when you throw. Don’t worry about the dog. The disc will follow where your eyes are looking. And if your dog sees the disc, it will follow it. Make sure the disc is in front of your dog, so the dog can see it. Don’t throw the disc at the dog’s head. That hurts to catch it that way. Have your dog go around you and throw the disc while he is at your side. That way, the disc is traveling in front of him.
Good commands for your dog to know are: go around; look right, look left, look up; and wait. I tell Dakota to “wait” while I am getting myself together, holding the disc correctly, and looking for my target. Then I ask Dakota to “go around” me. As she is starting to go around me, I look for my target. While looking at my target, and she is at my side, I release the disc. It will be trial and error to determine how far you can throw and how fast your dog is. In the beginning, I think the most important thing is to make sure your dog can see the disc flying in the air. The key in releasing the disc is not so much how strong you are, but how much snap you have in your wrist. Get that snap as you release and the disc will fly much better.
There are some websites where you can find more information about Frisbee. Google to see if there are any Frisbee clubs in your area. These clubs sponsor events and competitions. Some club members teach lessons. There are three main venues for Frisbee competitions: www.skyhoundz.com; www.usddn.com; and www.ufoworldcup.org. Check to see if there is a competition near you. Some competitions are dog friendly if you are not competing as long as your dog is on leash or in a crate. Go to a competition. You won’t be disappointed by watching and you can talk to people to get more information. Even if not competing, you can get tips on how to play Frisbee with your dog in the backyard. There’s also a new venue of combining Frisbee with activities like Agility. The competition is comprised of games that you play using a disc. For more information, check out www.updogchallenge.com.
Try to get discs that are designed for playing with dogs. The plastic ones your get from the pet chain stores are not the best. They have a ridge on the inside of the rim that cuts the dog’s mouth. You can order canine discs from web sites like: www.hyperflite.com or www.herodiscusa.com. Google “Canine Frisbees” for more information. I usually get what is called the “blems” discs from Hero. These are discs that are irregular in the color or logo, but the disc itself is not imperfect. They’re great for playing the backyard. You can also find discs designed for cold weather and for dogs that bite hard.